Parish of Saint Leonard
Confirmation Preparation Information Sheet
Confirmation is one of three Sacraments of Initiation in the Catholic Church, which in our
local tradition is celebrated third, following Baptism and First Eucharist. A time of preparation
for Confirmation is an opportunity to better understand what our baptismal call entails and
what it means to be Eucharistic people.
At our baptism we were marked as children of God and were welcomed into a community of
believers. With this, we assume the responsibility of sharing the gifts and talents given to us
by God with one another. Over the next few months you will take some time to stop and
reflect on how you are living out your baptismal promise. Are you an active member of your
parish? Are you living out your faith? In what ways are you doing so? What can you do to
improve?
There are many ways to share your gifts with the community and to learn more about what it
means to be a baptized Catholic. Some of these include:

Attending Mass on a weekly basis in our community. Don’t underestimate how
much you contribute simply through your presence. Mass times in our parish are:
Saturdays: 4:00 PM St. Agnes; 5:30 PM St. Joseph, New Victoria
Sundays: 8:30 AM St. Joseph, Lingan; 10:00 AM Mount Carmel; 11:30 AM St. Michael’s

Get more involved in Mass by coming forward to serve in a variety of liturgical
ministries such as Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Altar Server, Choir Member,
Hospitality Minister, Sacristan. Just let us know which weekend Mass works best for
you and we’ll get you on a schedule.

Take part in our Tuesday night Parish Nights. Each Tuesday at 6:30 PM at our St.
Michael’s site, parishioners of all ages come together to explore the Gospel of the
coming Sunday. On the last Sunday of the month, beginning at 5:30 PM, all are
invited to our Spaghetti Night where we share a meal and learn a bit about our
Catholic faith.

Take part in our Sunday Night Youth Nights. This will be a chance for youth
(grades 9-12 & university-aged) to get together, hang out, and chat about life issues.
This is the night where your issues and ideas take centre stage. Youth Nights will
take place at the Gaul Centre at 7 PM on Sunday Nights beginning October 19th.

Take part in a Baptism Preparation Session held every second Sunday of the
month at St. Michael’s at 1:00 PM. What better way to reflect on your baptismal call
than to return to explore the Rite of Baptism all over again.

Participate in Evening Prayer with other members of our community every Monday
night at 6:30 PM at our St. Michael’s site.

Join our Social Justice Committee (or assist with a specific social justice project) to
work with others in our parish on issues of justice, such as concerns in Africa, Asia,
and other parts of the world, local concerns including our local Food Banks,
environmental issues, etc.

Volunteer to help out with various parish functions. For example, young people
are always welcome and needed for our Annual Pancake & Sausage Brunch being
held on October 19th. If you are able to help, call the Pastoral Centre at 862-2255.
JOURNAL & INTERVIEW
We encourage you to keep a journal over the coming months detailing your journey and your
reflections. You can bring this journal with you to your interview with a member of our
Pastoral Team in March/April. This interview will be your time to talk about how you share
your talents and gifts with our faith community and the community-at-large.
MONTHLY ONLINE ACTIVITY
Each month there will be an activity posted on our parish website for you to complete and
submit. To access these activities visit
http://www.parishofsaintleonard.com/youth_corner.html.
INSCRIPTION CEREMONY
All candidates are to take part in an Inscription Ceremony where they declare to the
community that they have begun preparation for the celebration of Confirmation. There will
be an Inscription Ceremony at the weekend Masses in each of our three largest spaces on
the weekend of October 18th & 19th, 2008. Mass times are:
Saturday, October 18th, 2008
4:00 PM
St. Agnes
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
10:00 AM
Mount Carmel
Sunday, October 19th, 2008
11:30 AM
St. Michael’s
Candidates are required to bring their signed Inscription Promise with them to one of these
Inscription Ceremonies.
CONFIRMATION RETREAT
On April 25th and/or May 2nd, 2009 all candidates will take part in a full-day retreat prior to the
celebration of Confirmation on May 21st, 2009. The details on this retreat, on rehearsal for
Confirmation, and on the celebration of Confirmation itself will be made available as plans
become more solidified.
SPONSOR
Candidates are required to choose a sponsor to journey with them through this time of
preparation and beyond. The sponsor form is to be completed as soon as possible (October
31st deadline) and returned to the Pastoral Centre or dropped in the collection basket any of
our weekend Masses.
Updates and communications with candidates will be made via our Sunday Bulletin and our
parish website: www.parishofsaintleonard.com. We may also contact candidates through
email/text message when important notifications are necessary.